Kansas City, Missouri – This spring, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office will offer free, in-depth training on how to stop human trafficking. This will give professionals who are most likely to come across trafficking situations in their regular job more access to specialized expertise. The announcement comes during National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and is part of a larger effort to improve cooperation across the state to fight crime.
The Human Trafficking Training Center and its creator, Dan Nash, are working together to plan the program. From March 10 to March 12, 2026, it will be held in Kansas City. It will be open to law enforcement officers, prosecutors, analysts, advocates, first responders, and medical professionals from across Missouri.
The Attorney General’s Office said that the multi-day session is meant to give hands-on, real-world training. Sessions will focus on techniques for stopping human trafficking, how to respond to operations, and how to investigate illegal massage enterprises. Participants will also learn how to spot warning signs of trafficking and how to start an investigation when they find potential victims while doing their normal tasks.
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Attorney General Catherine Hanaway stated that the training stresses how important it is to work together to fight a crime that is typically kept secret.
“Human trafficking is a crime that thrives in the shadows, and it can only be eradicated as a result of strong partnerships and collaborative actions. Our Office is proud to offer this training to equip those on the front lines of combating human trafficking,” said Attorney General Hanaway. “Together, we can make our communities as safe as we possibly can and hold predators accountable.”
Diana Haines is in charge of the Office’s anti-trafficking efforts. She took over trafficking initiatives in January 2025 and became Director of Anti-Trafficking Operations in September of the same year. Haines has been working for the state for more than ten years. Haines is in charge of training, working with law enforcement and advocacy groups, and coming up with statewide plans to break up trafficking networks and help victims.
Haines said the goal is to make sure that professionals have the tools they need to help survivors and to develop a stronger network of services for them. She stressed that the Office is dedicated to both bringing traffickers to justice and assisting victims restore their safety and freedom.
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Registration for the training is open to eligible professionals. The Attorney General’s Office also encourages the public to report suspected trafficking to local law enforcement or the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
